Municipalities in New
Jersey obtain their authority to identify, evaluate, designate, and regulate
historic resources (individual sites and districts) from the Municipal
Land Use Law (MLUL), the enabling legislation for municipal land use
and development planning, zoning, and, since 1986, historic preservation
zoning. A 1999 survey by the HPO of New Jersey's 566 municipalities revealed
that 165 communities had historic preservation commissions established by
local ordinance. The historic preservation ordinance is an extension of
the municipality's zoning laws, and should be tailored to the community's
character and historic preservation goals.

Historic Preservation Commissions

The Historic Preservation
Commission (HPC) is created and defined by the local ordinance. The MLUL
requires that the HPC consist of between five and nine members, plus alternates,
who have a variety of backgrounds ranging from preservation professionals
to citizen advocates. HPC's may be either Advisory, where the Commission
only makes recommendations to the planning board, or Regulatory, where the
Commission itself is empowered to make final decisions on projects subject
to its review.

The Certified Local Government
(CLG) program offers municipalities the opportunity to participate more
directly in state and federal historic preservation programs. Participation
in the CLG program requires that a municipality have a historic preservation
ordinance and a historic preservation commission conforming to the specifications
of both the Municipal Land Use Law and the National Park Service approved
New Jersey Certified Local Government Guidelines.
As a CLG, the community is eligible to apply for Historic
Preservation Fund (HPF) grants for a variety of local preservation
activities. The
level of funding is contingent upon the annual appropriation from the National Park
Service. Grant applications are available from the HPO annually.

Communities interested
in becoming CLG's should review the documents available below and contact
the HPO to discuss the application and designation process.

to identify all
buildings, sites, structures, objects and districts which are significant
in American historic, architecture, archaeology and engineering, and which
meet the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places;

to design and implement
planning tools for the protection of these resources.

Annually, CLG communities
may submit one (1) application for funding either for an eligible individual
activity or multiple activities as defined in the Grant Application. If
you are not sure if an activity is eligible to receive funding, please contact
the HPO for guidance before completing any application forms.

CLG communities are afforded the opportunity to apply for grant assistance up to 10% of
New Jersey's annual Historic Preservation Fund appropriation from the National Park Service. Matching requirements will vary from year to year based on funding levels and HPO overmatch.

Additional information
and application procedures are available in the CLG Grant Application. Contact
the HPO for additional assistance.